Charter Bus Prices: How Much Does a Shelby Bus Rental Cost?

Planning a group trip in or around Shelby? We can help! Charter Bus Shelby makes it easy to get an instant quote on bus rentals in Shelby and across North Carolina. Our team offers transparent pricing and a quick booking process to help you hit the road with the perfect charter bus rental! We also have party buses and minibuses available, all equipped with modern amenities and premium features. Our team is available 24/7 to discuss pricing, bus rental types, and build your own personalized rental quote. Give us a call today at 980-404-7640 to start planning transportation for your sporting eventfield tripweddings, or any other group event.

Shelby Charter Bus Prices

Bus Type Per Hour Per Day Per Mile
50 to 56 Passenger Charter Bus $180 – $500+ $1,800 – $3,800 $6.00 – $9.95
40 to 50 Passenger Charter Bus $170 – $480+ $1,700 – $3,565 $6.00 – $9.95
25 to 35 Passenger Minibus $150 – $450+ $1,610 – $3,465 $4.00 – $9.95
20 to 24 Passenger Minibus $150 – $440+ $1,610 – $3,365 $4.00 – $8.95
15 to 18 Passenger Minibus $150 – $430+ $1,520 – $3,255 $4.00 – $7.95
Entertainer Coach $315 – $550+ $3,000 – $5,000+ $6.00 – $9.95
Yellow School Bus $145 – $450+ $1,520 – $3,655 $6.00 – $9.95
Shuttle Bus $155 – $450+ $1,520 – $3,655 $6.00 – $9.95

Shelby Party Bus Prices

Type of Party Bus Cost Per Hour Weekdays Cost Per Hour Weekends Cost Per Day
Small Party Bus (10 to 20 Passengers) $180 - $450+ $200 - $470+ $1,000 - $2,900+
Medium Party Bus (20 to 40 Passengers) $200 - $500+ $220 - $500+ $1,200 - $3,500+
Large Party Bus Rental (40 to 50 Passengers) $250 - $500+ $240 - $520+ $1,500 - $3,900+
Mercedes Sprinter Party Bus $160 - $400+ $180 - $450+ $1,000 - $3,900+

* Prices may vary greatly in your city and state. Due to the impact of COVID-19 and inflation, all rental prices shown are past estimates. Actual pricing may be significantly higher depending on availability and location. To get real-time pricing, call us 1-980-404-7640 or use our online quote tool.


How Much Does a Shelby Charter Bus Rental Cost?

Hourly rates for a Shelby charter bus rental typically cost between $130 and over $500, depending on your trip details, while daily bus rentals can be anywhere from $1,200 to $3,800 or more. Mileage charges are usually between $3.50 and $5.50 per mile. Minibus rentals range from $110 to $160 an hour, or from $1,100 to $1,500 per day, with mileage rates between $3.20 and $5.50. An entertainer bus can cost anywhere from $1,900 to $3,500 daily, with mileage charges starting at $7.00 and upwards of $8.50 per mile.

How Much Does a Shelby Party Bus Rental Cost?

Hourly party bus rental rates on weekdays range from $180 to $500+ for a small party bus, $200 to $500+ for a medium party bus, and $250 to $500+ for a large party bus, while sprinter buses can cost between $160 and $400+. Weekend rates tend to be $20-50 more expensive on average. The price per day for party buses in Shelby varies from $1,000 to $2,900+ for a small party bus, from $1,200 to $3,500+ for a medium party bus, and from $1,500 to $3,900+ for a large party bus, with sprinter buses ranging from $1,000 to $3,900+.

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What are the Factors Influencing Shelby Bus Rental Pricing?

When determining the cost of a Shelby bus rental, several factors come into play. Charter Bus Shelby offers customizable charter bus rentals, meaning each quote is tailored to the passenger’s needs. The duration of your trip, the time of year you’re traveling, the type of bus you rent, and other factors will all have an impact on your personalized bus quote.

Travel Distance and Time

When working with Charter Bus Shelby, you have the ability to create custom trips to accommodate your group’s unique itinerary. Charter Bus Shelby offers various ways to book buses. This includes renting by the hour, day, or mileage to suit your trip length.

Local trips lasting just a few hours can be booked by the hour, while long-distance journeys such as from Shelby to Charlotte, or day-long excursions will be billed by the day or mileage. If you have multiple stops to make during your trip, like when shuttling convention attendees from the airport to hotels to venue to restaurants, your rental will factor each leg of the trip into your final cost. Make sure you have your itinerary in hand when you call Charter Bus Shelby so your quote will be accurate.

28 passenger minibus

What Time of Year Is Best?

Like any other part of the travel and tourism industry, demand for charter buses is dependent on time of year. Peak travel seasons are more likely to result in higher charter bus rental rates due to an increase in bus demand and decreased availability. For example, the months of April, May and June can often be tricky to book buses. These months host special events like graduations, weddings, school field trips, and other occasions where private group transportation is often booked. Plan to book your bus in advance of major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas as well.

If your group’s travel isn’t time-sensitive, consider traveling during the off-season or non-peak months. The period of time between November and March typically sees a decrease in demand for buses, which means that not only will you be likely to have more buses available, but prices also generally tend to drop.

56 passenger charter bus

Location and Supply

If your group isn’t departing from a major city like Charlotte or Raleigh, it may be more difficult to find a charter bus company local to you. This may mean that the company has to drive a bus from its local area to you, which may incur an additional fee called ‘deadhead mileage’. This refers to the number of miles traveled before picking up passengers, so in order to save some extra money on your trip, start your group outing in a city near where a bus is stationed, if possible.

Bus Models and Amenities

Charter Bus Shelby offers access to minibuses and full-size charter buses, with seating up to 56 passengers, and other models that suit your unique travel needs. A full-size charter bus includes amenities like onboard restrooms, power outlets, WiFi, and TVs, making them suitable for long trips and journeys across state lines. Minibuses are better options for shorter trips around the city or shuttling events.

Regardless of the type of bus that you book, Charter Bus Shelby is ready to work with you on your reservation. Each charter bus rental will be customized to your group’s size and itinerary and include additional amenities to maximize comfort. Just call us at 980-404-7640 to let your reservation know which amenities you need and they’ll find the best bus for your Shelby group trip or event.

Weekends vs Weekdays

Booking a charter bus or party bus on weekends (especially Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights) can be more expensive than booking during the week. Weekends generally have higher demand for charter buses since people tend to host weddings, parties, and events.

Transportation companies account for this demand by raising hourly and daily rates for bookings that start or end during these days of the week. Additionally, the minimum rental time also goes up for popular occasions, like a Friday night charter bus rental for high school or college graduation. If your event doesn’t require it, consider booking your shuttle service on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to keep rental costs down.

Daytime vs Nighttime

Are you planning a trip with a custom schedule? Lucky you! Charter bus companies typically have higher hourly rates for nighttime trips (after 6 p.m.) than they do for daytime trips (before 6 p.m.). Since nighttime is the most popular time for events like weddings, bachelor parties, proms, and even bar crawls, the costs to rent a party bus or charter bus during this time tend to go up. However, daytime bus rental rates may also increase depending on the day of the week and your starting location. If you’re lucky, some days of the week such as Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday evenings may even have a reduced number of minimum rental hours, which can save you some money.

Bus Amenities to Upgrade the Trip

With Charter Bus Shelby, you can book a bus with onboard amenities tailored to your trip and group’s needs. Some amenities such as reclining seats, WiFi, and power outlets come standard. Other amenities like an onboard restroom, DVD players and TV screens, and a PA system can be requested. These premium options can increase your total costs.

Budgeting and Payment Terms

Along with additional amenities, factor in costs like parking permits, road tolls, and your driver’s tip into your overall budget. Your reservation specialist can give you additional information about what costs to expect during your trip, and which ones you will and won’t be charged for up-front.

You’ll be required to pay a deposit ahead of your bus reservation. Most bus companies require 10% to 20% of your total payment. You’ll pay the remainder no later than one month before your trip. Payment methods vary depending on your bus provider.

Saving Money on Bus Rentals

Now that you know how the price of renting a bus is calculated, it’s time to talk about ways you can reduce costs. Here are our top money-saving tips to keep your trip affordable.

Have your trip itinerary planned out and finalized. If you’re changing your pick-up/drop-off times or locations after you’ve already received a quote from us, you may be charged extra if your driver has to travel more miles. This is called deadhead mileage and may also be charged if a bus has to drive far to meet you at a remote location.

Book your bus rental early, especially during busy months when demand is high. If you book at least 6 months in advance, you’re likely to get a better rate than if you book one or two months in advance.

Book during the off-season. The busy season for bus rentals is generally during the months of April through June as well as major holidays. Try to book during the slower seasons of the year like between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.

Reserve the right type of bus. If you have a smaller group of 18 to 35 people, booking a minibus rather than a full-sized motorcoach can usually save money.

Rent a Charter bus in Shelby with Charter Bus Shelby

When you’re ready to start planning your group trip, call Charter Bus Shelby at 980-404-7640. We have reservations standing by to answer your questions about our group transportation services, amenities, and pricing. Call us anytime, 24/7, to get a customized, 30-second bus rental quote.